Cable laying plow



Nov. 8, 1932. E. c. GLEDHILL 1,886,511

CABLE LAYING PLOW Filed Nov. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet l q Shvamtoi I\ffi/VAAD 6. 62mm; U was auto ovum I I M, 8/4225 Wp J/M Nov. 8, 1932. E.c. GLEDHILL 1,886,511

CABLE LAYING PLOW Filed Nov. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q vwemtoz Z0 fanm0 6. 51mm; 351 fie/f fltlro'mw/la Nov. 8, 1932.

E. c. GLEDHILL 1,886,511

CABLE LAYING PLOW Filed Nov. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 HIM! AbWA/w' C.6.4

5 nvemtoz [ii/1L NOV. 8, 1932. c, GLEDHl-LL 1,886,511

CABLE LAYING PLOW Filed Nov. 25, 1930 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 gi-woemtoz fan m0C. 61 mm;

Patented Nov. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFl-CE &

EDWARD 0.6LEDHILL, O1 GALION, OHIO, ASSIGNOB '10 GENERAL CABLECORPORATION OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY cums: LAYINGrnow Application filed November 25, 1930. Serial No. 488,002.

This invention relates to cable laying machines and an object of theinventlon is to provide a. machine for laying underground cable,constructed and arranged to form a trench and lay the cable therein, thewalls of the trench closing in over the cable so that the latter iscompletely buried without the necessity of any manual digging orrefilling operations.

This and other objects which will be apparent to those skilled in thisparticular art are accomplished by means of the lnventlon illustrated inthe accompanying drawings m which-- Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a cablelaying machine constructed in accordance with one embodiment of thisinvention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof.

The cablelaying machine which has been chosen for the purposes ofillustration is arranged to operate in connection with a cable which haspreviously beenlaid along the surface of the ground, approximately onthe line along which it is to be buried, in a manner generally similarto that disclosed in the conding application of Roger N. Murphy,

erial No. 492,697, filed November 1, 1930. Like the machine of theMurphy application, the present machine'is rovided with a suitabletrench or furrow orming device which cuts the desired furrow as themachine is drawn along the predetermined path. Means is provided forpicking up the cable and depositing it in the furrow in the rear of thecutting or plowing mechanism, and the formation of the furrow is suchthat the walls thereof closein over the cable as the machine is drawnalong.

In the drawings, the machine comprises arched frame members 5 which aremounted upon wheels 6 and associated with a suitable hitching device 7by which the machine can be attached to a tractor or any means oflocomotion. A plow beam 8 is pivoted to the front of the carriage upon asuitable supporting bolt 9 or the like for vertical swinging movement.The rear end of the. plow cable .forming mechanism will vary the depthof beam 8 is curved downwardly and provided with a suitable trenchforming mechanlsm ineluding a plowshare 10 positioned on alongitudinally extending member 11', see Fig. 4,

ally supported by a pin 14 which permlts the o0 colter to swingrearwardly and pass over any solid obstruction, a spring 15 yieldinglyholding the colter in normal position.

At the front of the carriage is asuitable pick-up mechanism whichincludes a 5 pair 0 horizontally disposed pick-up rollers 16 positionedso as to properly pass the cable rearwardly after lifting-1t from theground on either side of the machine. From the pick-up rollers 16, thecable 17 passes rear- 7 wardly over a guide roller 18 mounted betweenbrackets "19 on the rear of the plow beam" 8 above the plowshare, andthence downwardly through a guiding and protecting conduit or sleeve 20secured to the rear of the beam and communicating with a substantiallyclosed chamber 21 in which a cable laying roller 22 is positioned at therear of the plowshare supporting member 11, the chamber having anopening 23, see Fig. 3, to so permit the cable to pass outwardly and liein the trench or furrow formed by the plow. It will be apparent thatvariation of the vertical position of the beam 8 and furrow trench andcorrespondingly vary the depth at which the cable 17 is laid. Suitablemechanism is formed for adjusting the height of the beam 8 and forlocking it in adjusted position, to permit the cable 17 to be laid atany practical depth desired. As illustrated,

a pair of operating levers 24 are connected by links 25 with oppositeends of a cross bar 26 the horizontally disposed rollers 16, lifts theable platform 31 on the frame 5.

a ccessible to an operator standing on a suit- The plow beam 8' centeredand any lateral movement thereof is resisted by a more or less V-shapedyoke 32 having its arms ivoted to brackets 33 secured to the cross ar26, and the center of the yoke pivoted to 7 one end'qf a link 35 havingits opposite end ivoted in su rting brackets 35 mounted En one of thg fiame members 5. This arrangement centers the beam and preventsany lateralmovement thereof relative to the others. At the same carriage while atthe ametime permitting the vertical adjustment thereof. r

The rear of .the carriage is provldedwith 'a container or the like 36 toreceive a variable amount of ballast, the amount of which will I de ndlargely upon soil conditi ns, certain so requirm considerably moreweight to produce the esired de th of furrow than e, the tires of therear wheels 6 are of suflicient width to resist the tendency of the plowpoint to draw .down deeper into some formsl ofg'tsloihf bl In operationassuming a en .0 ca e has been laid along the ground on substantiallythe path that it is to follow when laid underground, the machine isdrawn along such path by any suitable means. The pickup mechanism,illustrated as in the form'of tected from any contact with the soil,rocks or the like until it is definitely positioned and laid in thebottom of the trench. The colter 12 and plow share 10 operate in theusual way to produce a suitable furrow and the design of the tplowmechanism is such that the walls of e furrow close together under theinfluence of gravi after the machine has passed so that no re operationor the like is necessary to cover the cable.

Although I havedescribed a specific form of this invention in more orless detail, it will be apparent that various additions, omissions andsubstitutions can be made therein without departing from the spirit ofthis invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Incombination, a furrow forming plow, means for adjusting the depth ofoperation of said plow, and means for depositing within the furrowformed thereby a length of cable previously laid along the groundinmeans for g the cable from said ,rollers into said furrow.

2. In combination, a furrow forming plow means for adjusting the depthof operation of said plow, and means for. depimitulnlg within the furrowformed thereby a f cable previously laid alo the groun includinga pair 0horizon y dis -cable pickup rollers andmeans' for directing the cablefrom said rollers into said furrows 3. The combination in a cable. layinmachine ofa verticallmdjnstable longitudinal- 1 extending plow mpivotal! su ported t ereon at its forward end, a p ow are on the movableend of said beam, a colter supgrted on said beam, means for laying acable the furrow formed by said share, cable pick-u mechanism locatedadjacent the front end 0 said beam for directing a cable pre-' cludmg aair of cable pick-up rollers and 7 viously laid alon the groundrearwardly of i said beam to 881d cable la means and manually operatedmechanism including a worm and gear for raising and lowering said plowbeam and for locking said beam in adusted position. I

. 4. The combination in a cable laying machine of a verticall movableplow beam pro vided with a plows are and means for laying a a cable inthe furrow formed by said share, a cross bar secured to said plow beam,operating levers linked to said crossbar, and

means for manuallgigperating said levers to raise and lower sai V y 5.The combination in a cable laying machine of a vertically movable plowbeam rovided with a plowshare and means for Raying a cable in the furrowformed by said share, a cross bar secured to said beam, operating leverslinked to said cross bar,means for manually operating said levers toraise and lower said beam, and a plow beam guiding yoke connected tosaidvcross bar and pivoted to said machine to resist lateral movementofsaid beam relatively to said machine. In testimony whereof, I havesigned my name to this specificationithis th day of November, 1930. r Y

EDWARD C. GLEDHILL.

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